Emmanuel Eboue is an African football player, who was born on June 4, 1983 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He went to the Jean-Marc Guillou’s football academy in Abidjan, which was associated with the Académie Sportive des Employés de Commerce (ASEC) Mimosas Club. Since marrying his Belgian girlfriend in 2004, he holds dual citizenship for Belgium and the Ivory Coast.
Emmanuel Eboue made his maiden international appearance and earned his first full cap for the Ivory Coast against Sudan in September 2004. In January 2006, he was a defender for his country and helped the team win the runner-up title in the African Cup of Nations. Later that year, he also played for the Ivory Coast squad in the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany.
The Belgium employment law allowed less experienced players to play football, so Emmanuel Eboue moved to Koninklijke Sportkring Beveren, a Belgian football club that has a joint relationship with Arsenal. He played at the Beveren club for three years, until he was given a trial in December 2004 at Highbury. After his successful trial attempt, Emmanuel Eboue signed a four-year contract for £1.54 million with Arsenal on January 1, 2005. A few days later, he made his debut for this club, when he participated in the Football Association (FA) Challenge Cup against Stoke City. On October 25, 2005, Emmanuel Eboue scored his first goal for Arsenal in the club's 3–0 League Cup third round victory at Sunderland.
Though Emmanuel Eboue was only a substitute giving rare appearances, he became a regular player at the end of the season. He was immediately called to replace Lauren, a Cameroonian player of the English Football League, after his return from the African Cup of Nations, and then made his first Premiership appearance against Liverpool at Anfield. He maintained his position in the team throughout its 2005-06 campaign. Being a prominent Arsenal player, Emmanuel Eboue played in a number of matches, including the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League against Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal. In the April 1, 2006 game against Aston Villa, Emmanuel Eboue surprised the football spectators with his outstanding performance and was compared to the Brazilian winger legend, Garrincha, by Arsene Wenger, the successful manager of Arsenal.
From then on, Emmanuel Eboue continued to remain in the starting line-up for Arsenal. In the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final held at the Stade de France, he performed solidly, but still received some criticism. He made his second goal for Arsenal on November 21, 2006 in the Champions League victory against Hamburger SV.
Emmanuel Eboue usually plays positions like right back, winger and defensive mid, but from the start of the 2008 season, he has shifted to the right-winger position. During the 2006-07 season, Emmanuel Eboue was awarded the Arsenal Player of the Month award for September.
